There is an interesting discussion to be found at http://iidb.infidels.org/vbb/showthread.php?t=239361 all about the differences between meditation, self-hypnosis and day dreaming.
In this scientific age we have to experiment and prove that things work before the professionals will take things on board. The monks of Kathmandu and 10 million westerners who meditate every day will sware to the positive results they get from focusing the mind.
Professor Kathy Sykes of Bristol University has known for a long time that she needed to find time in her frantic days and schedules to set aside 30 minutes for just lying and listening to music, or she would become grumpy, tired and unable to concentrate.
Kathy Sykes realised recently that she was in fact practising a crude form of meditation. Scientist that she is she began to study the subject and discovered that there is growing evidence that this ancient practice can make people healthier, and happier. It may even increase life span, alter brain structure and change personality.
Tonight on BBC 2 here in the UK she presents her findings in Alternative Therapies: The Evidence. You may be able to see this during the next week by going to the BBC website and using the iPlayer facility to see repeats of programmes.
The scientist of course look for physical proof that things work and they have found that there are indeed changes occurring in the brain of people who meditate.
Prefontal Cortex: Associated with emotion. More active in meditators.
Anterior Cingulate Cortex: More active in meditators suggesting they have greater mental wellbeing.
Somatosensory Cortex: Thicker in meditators improving attention span
Auditory Cortex: Thicker in meditators improving the processing of sound
Of course you have to consider that people with these brain characteristics are more likely to meditate. So what is being studied now is whether there are changes in the brain recorded in people before and after learning meditating techniques.
Technorati Tags: brain, meditation, mind, Professor Kathy Sykes
About Keith Watson
Hi - I am Keith Watson.
This blog is dedicated to Banger - a teacher from my teenage years who - at least once a week - insisted upon cracking the hilarious - and I have to say - never heard before line "What's on Watson?".
I would smile demurely - the rest of the class would fall about with sides aching - and life would go on for another week.
'Wats-on My Mind' I have decided will assist me personally as well as be of interest to others (I hope) who share my challenges. It will help keep me organised and document my activities so that I know what I did yesterday.
You think I am joking!!
I have been in the website development game since 1993 and have been involved with over 2000 website builds (with the help of my fantastic team of freelance programmers)
It was only in the last two years though that I have moved over to making money for myself on line and in particular linking up with an amazing talent called Adam Eason to produce and distribute self help and hypnotherapy products.
As a result of looking to promote these products I have downloaded hundreds of internet marketing articles and e-books, studied countless reports, tested list building tactics, butterflied, boot-camped, buzzed, adsensed, affiliated, met a jerk, jv'ed, plr given-awayed, and generally suffered from information overload.
My computer - presumably in a fit of pique or simply demanding a holiday has given up the ghost on at least two occassions - causing me even more stress.
Oh this simple business of making money online.
BUT the great news is that it is all working and our list has grown - I have found some gurus I have complete faith in - and Adam and I are actually making money from our endeavours.
Some way to go but I am more relaxed and can spot a phoney over hyped, sexed up, must have latest product which you must either buy or if not, simply fade into oblivion. There’s not room on this Internet for the two of us.
This ramble of an introduction is really to set the scene for I am sure an interesting journey which I invite you to join. In fact I want you to help me find the right tools, scripts, plugins etc. etc, that will catapult me into the stratosphere of success. I hope you will be there with me.
I don't just consider success in a monetary sense. I so want to help some friends of mine who are involved in Christian missionary work in some pretty harrowing parts of this world. If I can bring any help to their missions that will give me more satisfaction than anything else.
I really, really do love this web stuff and the people you meet. I am convinced that this powerful technology can be harnessed to do some good.
